Past Nightmares
by mschweezy
Summary: After being given a drug during a mission Artemis has slipped into a deep slumber full of nightmares. Batman has ordered the team to enter her mind and help her wake up, but is the team ready to face Artemis's nightmares of her past? Set after Usual Suspects (season one) before Auld Aquaintances. Image Credit: mirakelsey on deviantART
1. Chapter 1

_Hello! Okay, so I have been out of the writing game for quite some time now. Also I have never written a Young Justice fiction, so please bear with me. I have had this idea for quite a while so I thought, what the hell, and posted it! I would LOVE to hear what you think of this, and this chapter is going to be short because I just kind of want to see what people think of the whole idea and what not. So thank you for taking time to check this out!_

_This chapter is pretty short, but future chapter should be longer. I just wanted to see what ya'll thought!_

**_Disclaimer: I do not own Young Justice._**

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001: The Nightmare Begins

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_Shit_, Artemis cursed to herself as she shot arrows behind Superboy who was just about to be attacked. _And this was supposed to be a simple reconnaissance mission._

She looked around to see more and more soldiers coming to attack her and her teammates, her friends.

_Where the hell do they keep coming from?_ She growled inwardly, becoming more aware of her dwindling quiver.

She continued to fire arrows to help keep as many soldiers away from her friends as possible while she also was looking for the mastermind, Lex Luthor. She knew he was here, waiting, watching, and they needed to end this, fast. It was easy to tell that everyone on the team was becoming tired from the long battle. She glanced around once more when she spotted him standing in the corner, arms folded across his chest, and a smile gracing his face.

_Cocky bastard_, she scoffed in her mind as she took the opportunity to cross the room to try and take him down. She ran past Robin who saw where she was headed and decided to be her backup. Just as Artemis let an arrow fly towards Luthor's heart his cybernetic bodyguard, Mercy Graves, grabbed the arrow and broke it in two.

"I'll take the bodyguard, you get Luthor!" Robin shouted as he ran pass Artemis and started fighting Mercy.

Artemis took the first opening she could find and bolted pass Robin and Mercy to get to Luthor. She aimed a kick towards his head, but Luthor easily blocked it. She continued to throw punches and kicks, but Luthor was blocking her efforts with much ease, a smile still graced his face. This caused Artemis to become angry at the man who was mocking her as she threw a right punch towards him, but he grabbed her fist and twisted it behind her and pulled her close to him, a knife held to her throat.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, and here I would have thought Sportsmaster would have taught you better than to lose your temper, and get sloppy. However, he tends to lose his temper easily as well. Like father, like daughter," Luthor taunted.

Artemis growled at the man holding the knife at her throat and made an attempt to get free only to feel a sharp pain at her throat.

"Oh I wouldn't do that if I were you, you might actually end up killing yourself in the process," Luthor smirked at the blood that now dripped from her neck.

"Artemis!" Kid Flash shouted as he saw his teammate being held.

"Let her go!"Superboy growled.

The fighting had stopped, no more soldiers remained, and Mercy was able to fight off the boy wonder and take her spot back at Luthor's side. The team stood there watching, eyes frantic, trying to figure out how to save their friend from Luthor's hold.

Luthor began to laugh, "Oh don't worry, I will. I don't want her dead, well not just yet at least." He stopped laughing as Mercy pulled out a syringe filled with black liquid.

Artemis's eyes looked to her right, where Mercy held the syringe, panic crept into her voice, "What is that?"

With a sly smile on his face Luthor explained, "It's a new drug I want to test out, and who could be better than a member of the Junior Justice League."

"What does it do?" Robin asked, his voice low and level.

Luthor looked towards the boy wonder, "Well that's what we are going to find out, however, if it does what it's supposed to, and then our lovely Artemis here will fall into a deep sleep a face her past nightmares for the rest of her life."

Artemis's eyes widened as she began to struggle against Luthor's death grip, but to no avail. Mercy stabbed the needle into Artemis's arm and the black liquid began to course through her veins. Artemis let out a slight gasp as she felt the black liquid start to work. Her eyes began to feel heavy, and she felt as though she couldn't stand any longer.

Luthor smiled as the girl in his arms started lose consciousness and threw her towards her friends as Mercy set off a smoke bomb. "Until next time," he called as the smoke engulfed the room.

As soon as Luthor pushed Artemis forwards Kid Flash ran towards her to catch her falling body. The smoke cleared and Luthor and Graves were nowhere to be seen.

"Damn it," Robin cursed under his breath, but then turned his attention to the girl lying on the floor whose weight was being supported by Kid Flash.

"Artemis! Stay awake, don't fall asleep!" Kid Flash called to her, panic rising in his chest, as her eyes began to close.

Her eyes shot open when she heard his voice, but only for a second as they started to droop again. And this time she couldn't fight the sleep that was creeping up on her. She succumbed to inevitable darkness that began to surround her.

"Artemis, no!" M'gann called as she dropped to her knees by her best friend.

"We have to get her back to the cave now! Batman might be able to find a cure if we get here there soon enough," Kaldur stated.

They all nodded, Miss Martian called the bioship, and Wally picked her up bridal style and carried her onto the ship. He laid her down on the bed M'gann created, and watched her motionless body. The ride back to the cave was quiet, everyone wrapped in their own thoughts, everyone blaming themselves for what happened, until they heard an earth shattering scream. As soon as Artemis let out a scream everyone was broken from their thoughts. Wally looked down at the girl, he was horrified.

Robin ran to her side, and shook her slightly while calling her name, trying to wake her up.

"It's not going to work, Robin," Kaldur stated, his voice stoic.

"What's wrong with her, why is she screaming?" panic crept into Conner's voice.

Kaldur looked down at the girl whose screaming had ceased, but watched as she began to break out in a sweat, "Nightmares."


	2. Chapter 2

_Wow! I didn't expect so many people to like this story! You guys are so awesome and I really appreciate the support! I planned on updating earlier, but then I ended up moving…so yeah. The next update will probably take just as long because I have to unpack and what not, but next chapter is when the good stuff happens._

_Feel free to let me know if you have anything particular you want to see about Artemis's past. I feel as though Artemis had a hellish childhood and plan on showing that. It won't be too graphic, but there will be child abuse in the rest of the chapters so prepare yourselves. If I feel like I go into too much detail I will be upping the rating to M. Anyway enjoy!_

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002: The Mission

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"How much longer?" Wally groaned in frustration, his eyes never leaving the unconscious girl lying on the makeshift bed.

"Only about another couple minutes, be patient Wally," Kaldur sighed, his attention also on the sleeping blonde.

Wally just let out another frustrated huff as he tapped his foot at super speed. "I should have just ran her back to the cave," he grumbled under his breath.

"Wally, shut up, you aren't the only one worried," Dick spat towards the young speedster, causing Wally to roll his eyes in annoyance.

"Arriving at the cave now," Megan announced.

As soon as the bioship landed in the cave Wally rushed Artemis to the medical wing. He laid her down as gently as possible on one of the beds. His eyes didn't leave her face as he grasped her hand in his. Her sweating had ceased, and she had yet to scream again, but her brow was furrowed and her lips her pursed. She looked to be in pain causing Wally to clench his teeth in anger.

_I should have stopped her_, he thought. _I should have tried to get her away from Luthor sooner, but I was frozen when I saw that syringe. This is all my fault, I'm so sorry Artemis._

His train of thought was broken by the deep voice of Batman, "Explain the situation."

"During our fight with Lex Luthor, Artemis was captured. With her in his grasp he proceeded to inject her with a black substance. He explained that if this new drug works, it will force her to succumb to a deep slumber and have constant nightmares," Kaldur explained as he walked into the room with the rest of the team on his heels.

The team's attention was snapped back to Artemis when she let out another scream. She squeezed Wally's hand in the process. Wally watched, knowing there was nothing in his power he could do to help ease the young archer's pain. As she finished screaming her breath was labored, and her face began to relax slightly.

"We have already begun to research things that could cause this…reaction," Batman stated, his eyes trained on the girl in the bed.

The Flash walked over and grabbed Artemis's free arm and began to clean a spot to take blood.

"What are you doing?" Wally snapped at his mentor as he saw Flash bring a needle to Artemis's arm.

"We have to figure out what they gave her Wally," The Flash answered as he began to draw Artemis's blood.

Wally looked back down at the girl, "Oh, of course, right."

"You all have had a rough day, why don't you all go home, and–" Black Canary began but was cut off.

"No!" The entire team shouted as they surround the blonde girl, who was trapped in an endless nightmare.

Batman looked at the determined teens standing in front of him and nodded, "Fine, we are going to take her blood work to the lab and begin analyzing it. You many stay here and monitor her."

The team nodded, and Batman and the Flash began to walk out of the room.

"Keep an eye on them," Batman whispered to Black Canary as he passed her.

Green Arrow stood at the foot of his protégé's bed concern etched into his features when Black Canary came and placed a hand on his shoulder and offering him a small smile to ease him. She finally took in the young girl lying on the bed. She seemed to be at peace at the moment, but how long would that last? She then looked at the teams' serious faces and back to Green Arrow. She sighed inwardly, "M'gann, why don't you come help me make something to eat for everyone. We are going to need to keep our energy up if we are going to be of any help to Artemis."

M'gann, who had been holding one of Artemis's hands, glanced up at her team to see their drained expressions. She nodded once and then reluctantly let go of her best friend's hand, and followed Black Canary out of the room. Robin replaced M'gann's hand with his, and stared at the young archer's face. He was sifting through any and all information he had of drugs in his mind. Hoping something would come up that would help reverse this effect.

The room was silent, except for the beeping from the machines that monitored Artemis's heart rate and brain activity, for what felt like hours, but in reality was only minutes before Wally spoke up, "Damn it, I should have grabbed that syringe, this is all my fault." He felt tears pricking at the corners of his eyes, and squeezed his eyes shut to prevent them from falling. He wouldn't cry. He would be strong, for her.

Kaldur placed a comforting hand on the young speedster's shoulder, "This is no one's fault Wally. Even if you were able to grab that syringe before they injected her, who says they did not have another, or they would not have killed her."

Wally grimaced at the thought of the last thing Kaldur said. He still couldn't help but blame himself for what happened, and he always would. She had already been through so much in her life, and now she was forced to live in a nightmarish world? This wasn't fair; he should be the one on the bed. Out of everyone on the team he had led the cushiest lifestyle. He was the one who had loving parents, a great family that cared about him. He should be the one in the nightmare world, not her, not after everything she has been through already.

"I should've gone after Luthor myself," Robin whispered as he looked into Artemis's face. She seemed peaceful at the moment.

Wally opened his eyes and looked at Robin, "No, she wouldn't have let you."

The boys slightly smiled at the thought of their thickheaded, blonde, team member. The mood slightly lifted, but only for a moment, when a whisper escaped Artemis's lips.

"Dad, please…stop," her voice trembled, causing everyone to look up at her face when they noticed tears falling from her eyes.

"These aren't just nightmares," Green Arrow growled as he placed his hand on her foot, "she's reliving her childhood." This realization caused a collective gasp to escape the teams' lips. Green Arrow turned towards J'onn, his voice dripping with desperation, "Have they found anything out yet?"

J'onn looked grave as he shook his head. Green Arrow cursed under his breath and turned back to the blonde girl. She looked much younger laying there. She looked so scared and fragile, and there was nothing he could do. He was supposed to be her mentor, the one that was supposed to get her away from her awful past. Something like was never supposed to happen to her.

Before the boys could brood anymore Black Canary and M'gann entered the room with sandwiches, chips, and drinks. As they set them down Black Canary looked at the distraught teen boys as she commanded, "You all need to eat at least one sandwich."

"I'm not hungry," Wally muttered under his breath, his eyes never leaving Artemis's face.

"That was not a request Wally," Black Canary crossed her arms in front of her chest and glared at the boy. Wally looked up to the woman and produced a glare of his own, but the heroine just narrowed her eyes even more. Wally stood there in a glaring match with Black Canary for a while before finally giving up. He looked once more at Artemis, who at the moment was peacefully sleeping, before sighing and hesitantly letting go of her hand to walk to grab a sandwich. The other boys followed and began to eat in silence.

Black Canary smiled slightly at the boys, she knew they were concerned for Artemis, everyone was, but they still needed to eat. She walked over to Green Arrow who had taken Robin's place and was now holding Artemis's hand in his.

"You should eat too, Ollie," Black Canary whispered to him.

He nodded before looking at Black Canary, he voice was quiet, dark, "I will, but not until they are done. I don't want her to be alone Dinah, she's not just having nightmares, she's reliving her childhood."

Dinah's eyes widened at his discovery and looked down at the blonde, her eyes full of sadness, she placed a hand on Ollie's shoulder, "I understand."

Dinah walked away from Oliver and walked over to J'onn and asked him to help with something. He nodded and followed her out of the room. They returned shortly with J'onn levitating a couch and some chairs into the room. He placed the seating around Artemis so the team and Oliver could sit while watching the girl.

Wally had quickly eaten four sandwiches and walked back over to Artemis. He moved a chair closer to her so he could sit down while continuing to hold her hand.

"You're going to be okay Artemis; we are going to find a way to wake you up. I promise," he whispered to her. The rest of the team soon finished eating as well, and Robin walked over and stood next to Green Arrow and placed his hand on Artemis's arm before Oliver even noticed he was there. Oliver let go of Artemis's hand and walked over to where Dinah and J'onn were talking quietly. Robin took Oliver's place of holding Artemis's hand and grabbed a chair. Kaldur, Conner, and M'gann all took a seat on the couch placed at the foot of Artemis's bed.

"Have they found anything out?" Oliver asked in a hushed tone as he approached the other two League members.

J'onn shook his head, "Not exactly, they have identified one substance as Scarecrow's fear gas, but Luthor has altered it somehow."

"Damn it, this is taking too long," Oliver cursed and started to head towards the door, only to be stopped by Dinah grabbing his hand.

"Give them time Oliver. Those two are some of the smartest men on the League, if anyone is going to find something out it's them," she said reassuringly. Oliver sighed and nodded, he knew she was right, but waiting sucked.

* * *

Batman and the Flash entered the room where Artemis was being kept to see the team asleep around her. Wally and Robin were both holding one of her hands with their heads resting on her bed, while M'gann was next to Robin her head also resting on the bed and hand resting on Artemis's leg. Conner and Kaldur were both sleeping on the couch at the end of Artemis's bed.

Batman turned to look at Black Canary who just sighed and shrugged her shoulders, "They wouldn't leave her."

He nodded and Flash turned to her, keeping his voice low as to not wake up the exhausted teenagers, "How is her condition?"

"It's getting worse. When she first came she would have an outburst every couple of hours, but now she has at least one episode every hour," Oliver said gravely.

Flash nodded, "Well if you're correct in your assumption about her battling her past, then we need to try to wake her up as soon as possible before permanent psychological damage is done."

"Unfortunately we have not found a way to reverse the effects of the drug," Batman explained.

"But maybe the only way for her to wake up is for her to realize she's only dreaming," Dinah thought out loud.

Oliver looked at her, skepticism covered his face, "And how do you plan to do that?"

"Someone could enter her mind and explain to her that what she is seeing is just nightmares and that she needs to wake up," Black Canary explained.

"My powers allow me to enter other's minds, but it would probably be better for someone she knows to explain it to her. She might believe them," J'onn said.

Batman nodded as he took in all the information he just received. It might be their only chance seeing as they had yet found a reversal drug. He looked up at the League members in the room, "Let's wake them up then, the team has a new mission."

* * *

"So you want us to go inside Artemis's head?" Robin asked, skeptical of what his mentor was saying.

"Yes," Batman stated, "you will most likely see what she is dreaming, so prepare yourselves."

"When you get inside her head you are to find the real Artemis, and make her realize she is just dreaming, and all she needs to do is wake up," Flash explained.

"The real Artemis?" Conner asked, confused.

Black Canary stepped forward, "You will see Artemis everywhere you go because you are in her mind and she is having nightmares involving herself, but somewhere the Artemis we all know is there. She is probably scared out of her mind, so you will have to get her to believe that she is just dreaming. Everything she is seeing isn't actually happening again."

"Again?" M'gann questioned.

"Yes again," Oliver started as he let out a large sigh. "If I am correct, then these nightmares are actually her memories. As you all know now, Sportsmaster is her father and Cheshire is her sister. Well just be ready to see the way an international criminal raises his daughters."

The team nodded, determination written across all their faces.

"Good luck team, bring her back," Batman encouraged as the team surrounded Artemis's bed once more. They all linked hands as M'gann placed one of her hands on Artemis's head.

"Don't worry Artemis, we'll find you," she whispered before concentrating on entering her best friend's mind.


	3. Chapter 3

_Hello my favorite people! The support I have received for this story is amazing! I am so grateful that you guys like it so much!_

_Well we are now entering Artemis's mind, yay! Since they will be in her mind I have decided they are probably going to feel the emotion she feels during each scene. It only makes sense if they feel what she feels and hears what she think, but I also think I'm going to make that a gradual thing. Also, I'm not exactly sure how I'm going to have them help her/find her, so bear with me. :) Enjoy the chapter!_

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003: Tough Exterior

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"Is everyone here?" M'gann asked, mostly to herself as she made sure everyone made it into Artemis's mind. The team looked around to see they were in the corner of a small apartment. They saw a large, blond man towering over a young, small, blonde child. The child looked to be about three years old, and she stood tall, her fists were clenched, and she was slightly shaking.

"How many times do I have to tell you not to run inside?" The man's voice boomed as he raised his large hand above his shoulder and brought it down hard on the small child's face. The team gasped at the sight that just burned into their own memories.

"Tha-that's Artemis," M'gann croaked out, trying to hold back tears, her hands in front of her mouth, blocking out the sob that threatened to come out.

"Too many times, I'm sorry Daddy," the tiny Artemis whispered as she looked into the eyes of her father; a red mark already forming on the child's face.

"Do it again and I swear I'll break your leg, understand?" Lawrence growled. Artemis nodded an mumbled a, yes sir, as Lawrence brushed past her making his way towards the couch. The small girl stood in the same place, trying her best to hold in her tears.

A dark haired girl walked up next to the shaking blonde, and placed her hand on the young blonde's shoulder. She leaned over and whispered in Artemis's ear, "Don't cry, be strong."

Jade walked away as Artemis nodded and returned to playing as before, just without the running. The memory began to fade, leaving the team in a dark room, no windows or doors could be found.

"That was terrible," M'gann stated, her voice slightly shaking. Conner grimaced at the memory he just witnessed and placed a comforting hand on the Martian's shoulder.

"We need to find her," Wally spoke up, finally looking away from where the young archer was just slapped by her father.

M'gann nodded and brought her hands to her temples, trying to locate the _real_ Artemis. She stayed that way for a couple of minutes before letting out a defeated sigh. "I can't pinpoint her; we are in her mind, so she feels like she's everywhere. Because she _is_ everywhere."

"Do not give up M'gann. We will find her, and we will save her from her nightmares," Kaldur spoke confidently. He was sure they would find her. Before anyone could say anything else another memory started to appear around them.

It was dark outside, and they were in a small room. Two beds occupied the room and two lumps could be easily seen. The lump closest to the door was obviously asleep, or at least was a good enough actor to pass for sleeping. The lump furthest from the door was shaking. You could see blonde hair poking out from under the covers that covered the small form's entire body.

"How the hell could you be so damn stupid!" a female voice was heard, a slight accent accompanying it.

A burly laugh was heard next, "Don't get so uptight lover, it wasn't that big of a deal."

"Not a big deal? Lawrence you almost got us caught! Do you want to go to jail because if you do I would be glad to call up the police right fucking now!" the woman yelled in return, it was obvious that she was furious.

"Don't threaten me Paula," Lawrence growled, the laughter disappearing from his voice all together.

"Don't be a dumb ass then, Lawrence," Paula spat back.

_Stop fight, please, stop fighting_, a voice was heard in each of the team member's head. The all look towards M'gann shocked, but she was wearing the same shocked look on her face.

"We can hear her thoughts?" Robin asked.

M'gann's eyes never left the bundle on the bed as she nodded her bed, "I guess so." Before they could discuss the matter further a crash was heard from behind the door.

"You shouldn't piss me off so much, _lover_," Paula's voice was cold as she spoke.

They heard Sportsmaster chuckle slightly, "That was a nice hit, but be prepared for when I return it, with interest."

_Stop! Just stop fighting please!_

Wally clenched his teeth from anger, "What the hell is their problem? They have children; they shouldn't be fighting around them!"

Robin let out a bitter laugh, causing Wally to snap his attention towards the boy wonder. "What else do you expect KF, this is _Sportsmaster_ we're talking about. He doesn't care about anyone but himself." Kid Flash simply balled his hands into fists to stop him from going crazy with anger.

"We need to think of a plan of some sort to find her," Superboy spoke up; he couldn't listen to this much longer. He always thought Superman ignoring him was horrible, but this was worst. He would rather not have a parent, or be ignored, than this.

"I know, but I have no idea on how to find her. We are trapped in her memories, and when they vanish we are stuck a doorless, windowless room!" Wally yelled, exasperated.

"Calm yourself Kid, if we all put our minds together, we are sure to find a way of locating Artemis," Kaldur said calmly as he placed a soothing hand on Wally's shoulder. Wally took a deep breath to help calm him and the nodded. The memory faded and once again they found themselves in a dark, doorless, windowless room.

"So is this her mind when she's not having a memory?" Conner asked.

"Not exactly," M'gann began as she looked around hoping to find something that would help them, "everyone's mind is different, obviously. When someone enters my mind, for example, it's an open space where you can see everything I care about instantly. That's because I have such an open and happy personality. Artemis, however, is a closed off person. She doesn't let people in easily. So this," she gestured to the room they're in, "is just a part of Artemis's mind. You have to figure out a way out of here before you can find the rest of who she is. Just like you have to break past her tough exterior to find out who she really is."

"So how do we do that?" Conner asked plainly.

"I'm not sure," M'gann sighed, defeated.

Robin began to walk the perimeter of the room, taking in every little detail. "There has to be a key of sorts, to get out of here. What makes Artemis tick? How did we break that tough exterior?"

They were all silent, focusing on how they first began to become friends with the emerald archer.

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_Okay I know it's short! But that is because I really wanted to know how you like the way I'm approaching the memories and the whole concept! I would hate to write out everything in this concept and have you guys hate it. Please give me some feedback, and I'll update real soon! Once again I'm sorry for the short chapter! Thanks for reading! Oh and one more thing, just let me know if ya'll think I should up the rating. I have a bad judge on that just because I feel, no matter the rating if a youngster wants to read it they will._


	4. Chapter 4

_I'm __**so**__ sorry for the delay! My laptop charger broke and I had to wait for a new one to get shipped to me because I am far too cheap to go to Walmart and buy one for like $60. I hope you enjoy this chapter, and hopefully they will start coming out quicker than this wait! Also may I just how hard it is to write Aqualad..._

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004: Into the Forest

* * *

"What is this?" the young blonde girl asked as she held a crossbow in front of her.

"It's called a crossbow, baby girl," Lawrence explained as he set up targets on trees in front of her.

"Why did you give it to me?"

"Because," Lawrence smirked as he turned around to look his daughter in the eyes, "it's about time you learn the family business."

"He's training her? She's like four years old!" Wally growled as he watched the scene unfold in front of him.

"Did you expect anything less?" Robin sighed. Wally bit the inside of his cheek trying to calm his anger and returned his focus to the father and daughter in front of him.

"Daddy," Artemis began, her demander showing how nervous she was.

"What is it baby girl?" Lawrence asked, not looking up from the bow he was tightening.

"What if I don't really want to be a part of the family business?" Artemis asked, waiting for her father's reaction.

Sportsmaster stopped what he was doing and looked at the young girl. His eyes narrowed on the girl causing her to stiffen under his gaze. "Well, baby girl what else would you do? You don't really have anything else going for you."

The young girl's shoulders slumped at her father's words. She knew, even at this young age, there wasn't much else that she could do. She was born into a family of criminals; statistics showed that she too would be a criminal. _There is no hope._

The team cringed as they could feel her realization. "There is hope," Megan whispered, tears forming in her eyes again.

"You're right daddy, I don't know what I was thinking. Please teach me how to use this," she declared, gesturing to the crossbow in his hands.

Lawrence smiled and walked over to her and placed his hand on her head, "That's my girl."

The memory faded and the team once again stood in the dark, doorless, windowless room.

"He's training a _child_ to be a murder," Wally spoke in disbelief.

"Focus KF," Robin stated as he turned to face the entire group, "how do we break through the tough exterior?"

"Artemis?" M'gann called out, her voice slightly trembling. "Artemis, it's us, your friends! We are here to help you, but we need you to help us find you!"

"Artemis, let us out of this room so we can find you!" Robin shouted, praying in his mind this would work. Unfortunately, nothing was happening. The walls stayed in place, no doors appeared, nothing.

"Damn it Artemis, come on!" Wally yelled as he punched a nearby wall. "You're stronger than this! You survived your childhood once so you can do it again!"

At first there was nothing once more, and the team let out a collective sigh of defeat, but then the room started to shake. The walls started to crumble around them to reveal thick forest. The team looked around to see nothing but trees for miles and miles.

"Where are we?" Conner asked.

"It looks like the same place Sportsmaster was training her," Robin noted.

"This must be the next layer of Artemis's mind," M'gann thought out loud. "I can feel her a little better now. We are getting closer."

"Good. M'gann, can you tell which way to go in order to find her?" Aqualad asked. M'gann nodded and started to lead the group farther into the forest. As they walked they heard someone shout. The turned their heads to see a new memory appearing.

"Keep your hands up! Guard your head!" Sportsmaster shouted as he swung once again at the young girl before him.

_Keep your hands up, guard your head. Don't show fear. Don't cry, be strong_, Artemis chanted in her head. Her face was contorted into pure determination. _Prove yourself_.

The team heard her chants and felt her determination. "She just wants him to love her," Robin whispered watching as Sportsmaster trained his young daughter.

"Too slow baby girl," Lawrence chuckled as he struck her across the face forcing her to fall to the ground.

Wally let out an audible growl as M'gann placed a hand on his shoulder to calm him.

"Not too bad, but you're nothing compared to your sister," Lawrence stated as he took a drink from his nearby water bottle.

Artemis struggled to get up from the ground. She was covered in dirt, bruises, and scrapes. "I can keep training, I can become better," she said.

Lawrence let a wide grin cross his face as he placed his hand on his daughter's head, "That's my girl. You might not be as good as Jade, but you have a better attitude, that's for damn sure. Okay let's try again."

Artemis nodded as she returned to her crouch position. "Remember to always be aware of your surroundings, those heroes like to have back up ready. If you cut one down, then there will always be one more waiting to get you," he instructed. Artemis nodded as her father circled her. "Never listen to what those heroes say either. They will always tell you there is another way, that they can help you."

_They can help me? There's another way? Is that true? Is there a way for me to not be a part of the Shadows?_ She questioned herself.

"There is no other way," her father's deep voice brought her back to the reality she already knew.

He lunged for her, but she back flipped back. A smirk was present on his face as he swung a lazy right hook for her. She blocked it and aimed her own punch for his head, but he ducked away. Sportsmaster slowly swiped at her feet, giving her plenty of time to jump over the leg and aim a kick of her own for his side, but he easily grabbed her leg and hoisted her up into the air. She let out a small scream at the sudden change in direction.

"Always anticipate the next move," he chuckled as he dropped her to the ground. Artemis twisted her body enough to not land on her head, but her wrist took most of the impact. She grimaced at the pain, but did not vocalize her pain. She knew if she were to do that, then her father would make it ten times worse. "That's enough for today," he declared. "Your mother and I have work to do tonight."

The memory faded and the team was left standing in the large forest.

"He's not only physically abusing her but also emotionally and psychologically," Robin stated.

"Well no shit, Rob!" Wally yelled, walking past the boy wonder further into the forest.

"Wally wait, we need to stay together!" M'gann yelled running after the speedster and grabbing his hand to halt him.

"We're going too slow!" he declared, whipping around to face the rest of his team. "Every time we take a step forward we end up being stopped by her memories! We need to move!"

"Yes, because arguing isn't wasting time either," Robin sneered towards the redhead. Wally growled and walked towards Robin and grabbed the front of his uniform.

"Shut up, boy wonder, before I make you," He hissed.

Robin didn't back down, he fixed a glare on the boy wrinkling his uniform, "Don't act like you're the only one who cares Wally! We all care about Artemis! She's our teammate, our friend, our sister! So stop biting everyone's head off because we are all trying to find her!"

Wally's eyes widened for a brief moment before he sighed and let go of Robin's uniform. "I know dude, I'm sorry. I just…I just can't lose her again," he admited.

"I know man, and you won't. We're gonna save her, you just have to calm down," Robin consoled, placing a hand on his best friend's shoulder. Wally nodded his acknowledgement. The team turned and started to follow M'gann once again as she tried to locate their blonde archer.

"Also KF," Robin started earning the attention of said boy. "I would like this opportunity to remind you how when Artemis first joined the team and I told you, you were going to fall for her. I would also like to take this opportunity to say, I told you so," the youngest of the team cackled.

Wally let out a groan and dropped his head into his hands, "Dude shut up!" The rest of the team laughed at the two's antics, lifting the mood somewhat.

"So M'gann, how many layers does Artemis have in her mind?" Conner asked.

"Well I can't say for sure, but most people have around three layers to their mind," M'gann started. "There is the first layer, as we saw for Artemis it was a blockade. To keep enemies or anyone she doesn't want snooping around her head at bay. It's actually quite impressive that she has any mental blockades because most people, especially at our age, don't know how to protect their mind from mind walkers."

"Her dad probably taught her how to put them up," Robin commented.

"Wait, there is a way to protect your mind?" Wally asked.

Robin looked at him like he was an idiot, "Yes, of course there is. Did the Flash not teach you how to protect your mind?"

Wally shook his head in response. "Anyway," M'gann called the boys attention back to her explanation, "the next level of a normal mind would be fair ground, where people keep their memories and personality. It's where they store anything that makes them, them. However the trained mind can have backup blockades, which would be there to help confuse the intruder. Such as a large forest that looks the same in every direction," she motioned to the wooded area around them. "Sometimes people will have multiple backup blockades, but I feel as though we are getting closer to Artemis, so even if she does have more than one backup mind blockade I think she is letting us find her. Then comes the fair ground level. And the last layer of the mind is where the person feels the safest. The place where we will find her will be in a place she finds the safest. For most people it's their home, but for Artemis," she trailed off at the end.

"It's probably anywhere but there," Robin finished for her as she nodded solemnly.

* * *

_I know it's short, but I wanted to give you guys at least something since it's been so long. Thank you for the support I really appreciate it!_


	5. Chapter 5

_Aaaannndddd I'm a TERRIBLE PERSON! I am so, so, so, sooooo sorry that I haven't updated this in forever! I don't even have a good excuse, besides writer's block, which totally isn't an excuse! So please forgive me! I promise not to leave you again!_

* * *

005: The Key

* * *

"How are we supposed to get passed this layer of her mind?" Conner asked.

"Well normally there is a key of sorts that is the door to the next layer," M'gann explained.

"What does this key look like?" Kaldur inquired.

M'gann sighed as she dodged a low branch, "It's different for everyone."

Before she could continue her explanation a memory stopped them in their tacks. They saw Artemis, who seemed to be about six years old, ready to fight her older sister, Jade. Jade had a small smirk on her face as she readied herself for a spar. Artemis took in a deep breath as she too readied herself for the spar, _more like beating_, she thought grimly to herself.

Jade took off running towards the young blonde and swung at her feet. Artemis jumped up to avoid her sister's swipe at her legs only to be caught off guard by the other leg her sister swung around to hit her square in the stomach. The force of the kick pushed her back against a tree. She let out a groan and slumped to the ground.

"Is that really all you have Artemis?" Jade mocked as she stood from her crouch.

"No," Artemis mumbled as she stood shakily. She steadied her stance before charging at her sister once more.

_Be stronger_, she chanted in her head as she lunged for her sister, who easily dodge the sloppy attack. _Be faster_, she regained her balance quickly, not giving Jade an opportunity to attack. She threw a kick towards Jade, but was blocked. Planting her foot she twerked her body and threw a punch that grazed Jade's shoulder.

Jade growled as she felt the small contact to her shoulder and launched herself forward. She grabbed Artemis by the hair and threw her against a tree. Artemis hit the tree hard, knocking the wind out of her and forcing her to remain on the ground.

"Not bad Artemis, you actually are improving," Jade smirked at the slumped form of her little sister.

Artemis looked up at her sister and let a tired smile cross her face as she stood up on her shaky legs. Before she could say anything back to her sister she felt a strong fist to her gut, causing her eyes to widen. She fell to her knees gasping for breath.

"But not much," Jade smirked as she walked away from her little sister. The two girls faded away, but the forest remained.

"Ugh! How are we supposed to find a way out of this stupid forest?!" Wally yelled as he pulled at his hair in frustration.

"Calm down Kid, getting worked up is not going to help," Kaldur explained calmly. Wally glared at his leader, and let out an annoyed huff.

"We just have to find the key," Robin said looking around, "but seeing as it looks the same in all directions that doesn't really help us here."

Conner looked over towards M'gann and placed a hand on her shoulder, "Do you sense her anywhere?"

M'gann bit her lip, "I sense her everywhere, but maybe if I focus I might be able to figure out the direction we should be going in."

M'gann closed her eyes and took a deep breath to focus her mind. She could feel Artemis all around her. She could feel her pain, her fear, her self-hatred, her loathing; she could feel every bad emotion that made-up Artemis's past. Then she thought back to what she told the team,_ the fair ground level…where the person feels the safest._

_That's it! If I just try and focus on finding the positive emotions, then maybe it will help point us towards her_, M'gann thought to herself. She tried concentrating harder, trying to sift through the negative emotions, but she couldn't find anything, and before she could tell her team the bad news they were surrounded by a new memory.

There stood a ten year old Artemis, her hands clutching the crossbow her father had given her four years ago in the small living room of her apartment. The team could feel her anxiety, but they didn't know the reason for it. Sportsmaster appeared next to her, decked out in full costume. He handed Artemis a hockey mask and she took it hesitantly. "Ready baby girl? Now's the time."

She took a deep breath and nodded slowly as she pulled the mask over her face. _Now's the time…now's the time I use all this training I have been given._

"Is he taking her on a job?" Conner asked, disgust lacing his voice.

Kaldur nodded, solemnly, "It seems that way."

The memory quickly changed from the small apartment to a dark warehouse outside of Gotham. "Now remember," Sportsmaster began, looking down at his daughter.

"Don't ask questions and shoot straight," she finished for him. A smile broke across his face and he laid a heavy hand on her shoulder.

"That's my girl."

The two walked into the warehouse, and Sportsmaster stepped forward. As he stepped forward someone else stepped out of the shadows. It was Lex Luthor and his assistant.

"Thank you for coming Sportsmaster," Luthor smiled.

"Of course Luthor, anything for an old friend," Sportsmaster smirked.

"I see you brought your protégé," Luthor said, turning his attention to Artemis. Artemis shuttered under the scrutinizing gaze of Lex Luthor, but stared directly in his eyes, remembering her training. _Never back down baby girl._

"She's finished her training, all that's left is to take her on a _real_ job and a _real_ interrogation," Sportsmaster smiled proudly.

Luthor kept his gaze on the young girl. "Well, let's hope she passes." He watched her for a moment more, holding her gaze, determination shining in her eyes. Finally, Luthor turned his attention back to Sportsmaster, "Our client should be here shortly. He owes me quite a large sum of money; if he pays it back then we shall just give a warning. A couple broken bones, but if he doesn't..."

"Then we send him 6 feet under," Sportmaster finished.

Lex Luthor smiled, "You know the drill, go ahead and take your places."

Sportsmaster nodded and turned around, walking towards the shadows against the wall. Artemis followed closely behind her father.

_No questions. Shoot straight. No questions. Shoot straight._ She chanted in her head, swallowing the bile that had begun to rise in her throat.

The team could feel her fear level spike and her uneasiness rise as well.

"How could a father make is daughter do this?" M'gann whispered as she began to feel nauseous herself. Superboy glanced over at her to see her starting to sway on her feet and wrapped a protective arm around her shoulder, holding her close to him.

Sportsmaster and Artemis sunk into the shadows just as they heard the warehouse door open. Artemis squinted her eyes to see a short, balding man walk in. She could tell just by looking at him how nervous he was. Sweat was dripping of his face and he kept picking at his fingernails. He looked to be about thirty to thirty-five. He wore dress pants, a white button up shirt, and a tie that had been loosened slightly.

_He looks like my math teacher_, she thought to herself.

"Hello Mr. Watson, I believe you have something for me?" Lex Luthor called, his voice as calm as ever.

"Y-yes, M-Mr. Lu-Luthor," the man stuttered, an obvious sign of anxiety.

"Well, then where is it?" Luthor questioned, cocking his head to the side slightly.

"It's just that-that I don't ha-have it ye-yet, I need more time!" Mr. Watson said hurriedly.

Lex Luthor sighed as he shook his head, "Oh but Mr. Watson, this was the agreed upon date. Unfortunately, this means you will have to pay, in some _other way_."

Mr. Watson heard rustling from the shadows and whipped his head around to see Sportsmaster and Artemis emerge from the shadows. Sportsmaster had a bat in his hand and he approached Mr. Watson.

"No! Please, I have a family! A little girl, just like this one!" he yelled frantically, gesturing to Artemis.

Artemis clenched her jaw as she watched the man meltdown in front of them. _He has a family. There's a girl out there who's about to not have a father anymore because of me._ Artemis could feel the familiar burn of tears forming in behind her eyes, but she blinked them away. _No! I will not cry, I am strong. I can do this!_

"She's been brain washed," Robin whispered as he watched this painful memory play out before them.

Sportsmaster swung the bat at the man's right leg and a satisfying crunch was heard along with his scream of agony. Sportsmaster then aimed for the man's stomach, sending Mr. Watson to the floor gasping for air while grasping his stomach.

Sportsmaster threw a look towards Artemis, who understood that she needed to become more involved in this poor man's torture. She walked over to the man and stood in front of him.

"Please, little girl," he pleaded, his voice shaking and tears running down his face as he looked up to Artemis. She clenched her fists at her side and kicked his jaw with all the strength she could muster. Mr. Watson jaw broke and he let out an ear piercing scream.

_Block it all out. You have to do this,_ Artemis told herself. _You have no choice._

She continued to kick and punch the man until he was just a bloodied, crying pulp in the middle of the warehouse floor.

"Finish the job, Artemis," she heard her father tell her. She looked up to see Lex Luthor and her father smiling at her, she felt sick. As she reached for the knife she kept on her right thigh she was stopped.

"First why don't you take off your mask," Luthor instructed. "You should see your first kill without any restrictions."

Artemis looked at her father, who nodded in agreement. She took a deep breath behind the mask before lifting it off her face and throwing it to the side. She crouched down so she could hover over the man she was about to kill. She looked into his eyes and saw the pure terror in them. Artemis held the knife to the man's throat and hesitated; the man below her struggled under her grasp.

"What are you waiting for Artemis? Kill him!" she heard her father shout from behind her.

"No," Megan gasped as Artemis narrowed her eyes. She took a deep breath and slit his throat, his blood splattering against her face. She didn't blink as she watched the man's life leave from his being. She stood slowly and turned to face her father, who had a broad smile covering his face.

He walked over and dropped his heavy hand on her shoulder, "Good job baby girl, you made me proud." Artemis nodded, but her face was emotionless. Her eyes dull, dead.

"Very good young Artemis, you will be one to watch," Luthor praised as he turned his attention to Sportsmaster, going over the payment of the _deed_.

"This is terrible," Kaldur stated as he watched the young girl before him turn from a loving girl to a murderer.

"We have to find her," Robin said, his voice slightly trembling, his eyes fixed on his blonde friend.

"I-I can't find her," Megan sighed defeated as she let more tears fall from her eyes.

"Well you have to try harder!" Wally growled and turned towards the Martian, anger rolling off of him in almost palpable waves.

"Hey! Don't yell at M'gann!" Superboy whirled on Kid Flash.

Wally took a deep breath and placed a hand on M'gann's shoulder, "I'm sorry Miss M, this isn't your fault. If it wasn't for you we wouldn't even be here right now."

Everyone waited for M'gann to respond to Wally's apology, but she just stood there her brow furrowed, a look of deep concentration on her face.

"Miss M?" Wally called waving a hand in front of her face.

M'gann's eyes widened and a smile spread across her face, "Hello, Megan! That's it!"

Everyone looked at her confusion evident on their faces. She looked towards Wally and grabbed his shoulders, "Wally shout, scream, yell, it doesn't matter just talk loudly!"

"What?" the speedster asked, completely baffled by the nonsense his Martian teammate was saying.

M'gann let out a huff of annoyance, "I haven't been able to find Artemis because we are in her mind, meaning she's everywhere, but there have been a few times while we have been here that I can feel the real Artemis. Like she is trying to reach out to help us find her, but then it just disappears. Each time I have felt it is because of you Wally! Every time you get angry and yell and shout I can feel Artemis reaching out! It's just like the first layer, Robin and I both shouted trying to get her to help us, but nothing happened until you screamed at her."

Wally let everything M'gann just say sink in. She could hear him? She was reaching out for _him_ to help her? The thought alone cause a blush to creep up his neck and color his cheeks and ear a pretty shade of pink.

"I told you so," Robin, not so subtly, coughed, earning a glare from his best friend.

"O-okay," Wally started, "when I start shouting focus on finding her."

M'gann nodded and closed her eyes, and focused on Artemis's negative emotions again. Waiting for Wally to start shouting and hopefully, if she was right, find the positive emotion to help guide them to the real Artemis.

"Artemis," Wally called, he looked towards M'gann to see her brow scrunched in concentration. "Artemis!" he called again, louder, this time looking towards the three other male teammates staring at him. Robin had a shit-eating grin crossing his face making the blush on Wally's face deepen in color. Wally took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "Stop being so difficult and let us help you, damn it!"

M'gann focused as Wally started to shout. At first there was nothing, no positive emotions could be sensed. She could still only feel the overwhelming abundance of self-hatred filling the air around them, but finally there was a something. It was small but she could feel the small flicker of the only positive emotion in a sea of negative emotions. Hope. She could feel Artemis's hope.

M'gann's eyes shot open and with a large smile on her face. "This way!" she called as she began to walk towards their left. "I felt her, the real her, this way!"

The rest of the team followed M'gann, hoping to find a way to get closer to finding the real Artemis.

"So," Robin drawled out as he bumped his shoulder against Wally's, "you're the only one that can elicit a positive emotion out of Artemis, huh?"

Wally's face burned once again at the teasing of his teammate, "Dude, shut up!"

"I think it's sweet," M'gann smiled back towards Wally, only making his face turn a deeper shade of pink.

"Can we please stop talking about this and find that damn key?" Wally huffed, his face now as bright as his hair.

The rest of the team laughed as his expense, as they walked. Cracking jokes about Wally and Artemis. They had been walking for what felt like miles, but finding nothing that looked like a key. No one wanted to mention that it had been a while since the last nightmare; they didn't want to jinx it.

"I wonder what the key is supposed to look like," M'gann thought out loud, breaking the silence that had settle upon them.

"I don't know, maybe an arrow?" Wally joked.

"Look over there," Robin called; everyone followed the line his finger made to see a tree. This tree looked like all other trees in the forest except there was a single green arrow sticking out of it.

"You've got to be shitting me right now," Wally deadpanned as he looked towards the thing he had just mentioned.

"Wow, you two really do _know_ each other, don't you?" Robin jeered, resulting in Wally's face to light back up like a Christmas tree.

"Duuudeee!" Wally whined, dropping his face into his hands to hide his embarrassment.

"Do you think that could be our ticket to Artemis?" Conner asked.

"I am not sure, but it would not hurt to try," Kaldur responded. They all nodded and walked towards the tree with the arrow, and as soon as they got close to tree they all reached out towards the arrow, hoping, praying that this would get them to her. As soon as they touched it the forest disappeared to reveal a small dark room, with two twin beds on either side and an old Alice and Wonderland poster hanging on the wall.

"No," M'gann groaned, "another blockade." She let out a defeated sigh as her shoulders sagged with disappointment.

"Yes, but we are still one step closer to finding her," Kaldur reminded as he placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

M'gann took a deep breath, and looked up into her leader's eyes and smiled. "You're right, we are one step closer."

* * *

_Even though I am a terrible person I would still appreciate it if you would tell me what you thought! But you totally don't have to because I mean, I'M A TERRIBLE PERSON! I already have the next chapter almost finished, so *fingers crossed* I will have this story finished really soon! Thank you so, so, so, so much for sticking with me, even if I'm a terrible author who leaves stories abandoned! :)_


	6. Chapter 6

_Here is chapter 6! I promised I would have it out soon, and here it is! :) We are almost done with this story too! There is probably only one or two more chapters! You guys have been so kind to me and I've only be flakey! Thank you again for sticking with me!_

* * *

006: Through the Rabbit Hole

* * *

"So this is another blockade, huh?" Robin asked as he looked around the small room made for two.

M'gann nodded, trying to see the silver lighting, trying not to let doubt fill her.

"Well then we just have to get passed this and we should find her then," Wally stated confidently.

"How do you know this is the last blockade?" Conner asked, looking at the red-head skeptically.

"Artemis is strong, but not _that_ strong, I mean, come on! It's already crazy that she has had this many blockades in the first place, right?" his question directed to the Martian who nodded in agreement. "So there you have it! This has to be the last one!" Wally smiled towards his teammates. "Plus," he added quietly, "I just have this feeling that this is the last one."

"A feeling huh?" Robin started, a small smirk coming across his face. "Is that feeling a feeling of _love_?"

Wally glared at his short friend, "No! That's not what I meant!"

"Uh-huh, sure," Robin teased.

"I'm so kicking your ass after we find her," Wally whispered maniacally.

"M'gann, do you think this blockade is like the last? Do you think we need to find a key to get out?" Kaldur asked.

M'gann thought for a moment before shrugging her shoulders, "I really can't be sure. There is something different about this room than the forest. It feels…" She trailed off at the end, not knowing how to express the way she felt.

"Glum?" Wally offered, but she shook her head.

"No, I just can't place it," M'gann said, trying to find the words to express the feeling the room gave her. She sat silently for a few more moments before it finally came to her, making the hairs on her arms stand, "Foreboding."

The team tensed at the word as they looked around the small area. The ominous feeling now filling the room, as a small blonde child appeared on the bed farthest from the door.

"Artemis?" Wally asked, his voice slightly hopeful.

"No," M'gann answered, her body slumping with the emotion in the room, "it's just another memory."

They watched the young girl sit upright in her bed, her knees hugged tightly to her chest.

"Come home," she whispered as she glanced at the clock resting on her night stand. The clock read 1:52 a.m. in bright red numbers. _Please come home_, her thoughts were full of desperation.

"Who is she waiting for?" Conner asked as he watched the poor girl shake on her bed.

Robin shrugged his shoulders, "Probably her parents."

Just as Robin finished his sentence a slammed door could be heard. Artemis jumped from the sudden noise, but scurried off her bed quickly. Her legs got caught up in her blanket causing her to fall off her bed in a head of covers and sheets. She quickly untangled herself and ran to the door across the room. She wrenched it open and peaked her head out to see her father walking in to the room he shared with her mother across from her own.

"Daddy," she whispered, fear creeping up her spine.

He turned his head to see the young girl standing behind him and let out a growl, "Artemis why are you awake? Do you have any idea what time it is?!"

Artemis closed her eyes at the loud growl her father emitted towards her and took a deep breath before open her eyes once more. She looked up to see her father glaring down at her. "I know," she began, "I'm sorry. I was just worried." Her voice not above a mere whispered.

Lawrence sighed at his daughter's words and placed a large hand on her small shoulder, "Just go to sleep baby girl."

Artemis nodded her head, but leaned her head to the right to look past her father into his room, "Where's mommy?"

The question had Lawrence squeezing Artemis's shoulder tightly. She flinched under the pain, but held her ground. "Gone," he answered, turning his back on his daughter and walking into his room.

But before he could close the door on his daughter's face, her voice stopped him. "What do you mean gone?" she asked, her voice shaking with the fear she felt.

He turned his head to look at her over his shoulder, a heavy glare set on his face, "I mean she got stupid and got caught. You're mommy went to prison and won't be home for a long time, now go to sleep." With that he slammed the door on her face, leaving a shocked Artemis in the hallway.

Artemis found her way back into her room, and on top of her bed. She looked towards the other bed in the room to see it empty, like normal. She sat for a few moments trying to let what her father said sink in.

_You're mommy won't be home for a long time_, replayed in her head over and over again.

"Mommy's gone," she whispered out loud to herself. Tears started to fall from her eyes and she did nothing to stop them. "Mommy's gone," she said once more, finally coming to the realization that she wouldn't be seeing her mother for quite some time. More tears started to flow from her eyes and a sob escaped her. She buried her head into her pillow as sobs racked her body. She knew if her father heard her she would be punished for being _weak_, but she didn't care. Her mother was gone. _Gone_. She didn't care if tomorrow when she woke up she was forced to train extra because of the tears she let fall tonight. Nothing mattered because her mother was gone.

The small, shaking form disappeared, only leaving the team in the dark room.

"I'm going to kill him," Wally muttered, his hands clenched at his sides and a glare set on his face towards the direction of the door.

"I think I'll help," Conner growled, as he looked towards the direction where the shaking girl had just been.

"We are all in agreement that once we find Artemis we will set our target on Sportsmaster, but right now our target is still Artemis," Kaldur said, drawing their attention back to their main purpose.

Wally and Conner both nodded their heads and they shook their anger off for the moment. Kaldur was right, they needed to find Artemis.

"Even though the emotion in this room feels different than the forest, I still think we are looking for a key. That's the only thing that would make sense on how to get out of here," M'gann said, looking around the room.

"Yeah, or maybe Wally can just confess his love and then Artemis will appear," Robin inputted.

"Dude! I do NOT love her!" Wally insisted, his face starting to turn a light shade of pink. Robin chuckled at the over reaction from his friend.

"That is enough teasing for now Robin," Kaldur began, earning a 'thank you' from the speedster. "We can tease Wally later for his secret love after we have found Artemis," he finished earning a high-five from the Bat-in-training, and a betrayed gasp from the red-head.

Wally glared at the Atlantean, but focused his energy on looking for the second key. The key to Artemis. They looked through drawers and through the closet, but nothing they found they thought could be the key. After a couple minutes of fruitless searching M'gann gasped. The boys looked towards her, worry evident in their eyes.

"Something is about to happen," she whispered, her eyes wide and her hands trembling.

"What do you mean Miss M?" Robin asked, walking over to her and grasping her hand for comfort.

She squeezed back and shook her head, "I don't know, but there is something ominous in here."

The room's temperature dropped significantly as it morphed into a dark, empty room. In the middle sat one lone chair with Artemis sitting upon it. Her legs were tied to the chair legs and her arms tied behind her back.

"Now, baby girl, remember if you give away anything, _you fail_," Sportsmaster whispered into her ear, sending a shiver down her spine.

"What is he talking about?" Wally asked, confused by the situation. Why was she tied to a chair? But before Wally could continue his train of thought a loud cackle vibrated through the room, making his hair stand on end, and sending shivers through his body. He looked towards Robin who looked similar to him; stock still, face pale as paper with a mixture of shock and fear written across it.

"Now I brought over a _friend_ to help me with our last test," Lawrence began, a sick grin plastered on his face. From the shadows the Joker appeared, Artemis's eyes widened, but she was able to hold in her gasp by biting down on her tongue.

"What's…what's he thinking?" Robin whispered, realization washing over him. "This is horrible."

M'gann looked towards the masked teen to see the fear evident on his face. She had never even seen him scared before, and right now he looked down right terrified. What was going to happen?

"Now, now, little Goddess of the Hunt, do not fear," the Joker began, as he crouched down to be eye level with her, his right hand stroking her cheek, "I won't hurt you…much." At the last of his sentence he let out a loud cackle that had bile rising to Artemis's throat.

_Don't cry. Be strong._ Artemis swallowed the bile and her fear along with it. _They won't kill me; it's just a torture session. I've survived plenty of theses._

The team gasped as her thoughts ran through their heads.

"A torture session…" Wally repeated his eyes wide with shock.

"No," M'gann gasped, feeling her own stomach churning at the thought.

"Now, now, what question should I start with?" the Joker hummed to himself as he walked around the scared teen. He stopped behind her and yanked her hair back, forcing her to look up at his face that hovered above hers. "Who are you working for?" a sick smile covered his face.

Artemis clenched her teeth together, not letting her gasp of pain escape her lips. She narrowed her eyes and glared at the crazed maniac her father unleashed on her.

"Oh, not talking? I guess I'll have to be more _persuasive_," the Joker laughed, letting go of her hair and walking back in front of her.

"I-I can't watch this," M'gann admitted as she covered her eyes. Conner wrapped her up in a hug, holding her head against his chest so she wouldn't have to watch the events that were about to unfold.

"We can't do anything when we're in a memory. We just have to sit back and let it happen," Wally growled feeling utterly helpless.

"Do not look away my friend, we must endure what she does, we must stand with her," Kaldur spoke, his body stoic and eyes fixed on the scene before him.

M'gann looked at the Atlantean, seeing the anger and disgust swimming in his eyes and nodded slightly, pulling away from Superboy.

"M'gann, you don't have-" Conner started but was stopped by M'gann's raised hand.

"Aqualad is right," she began, taking a deep breath and turning back to memory being played before them, "I will not turn my back on Artemis."

M'gann clenched her jaw shut and fixed her eyes on her blonde friend, standing straight and squaring her shoulders. Her right hand was being held by Superboy and she reached her left hand towards Kaldur and grasped his right, squeezing it tightly in reassurance. His eyes did not waver because of the act, but only gave him more determination to watch the terrible act happening before their eyes. He reached out and grabbed Robin's hand. The act startled the boy, he looked towards Kaldur to see the chain that had formed and saw the determination in his fellow teammates. He looked forward and reached his left hand out to grasp the remaining team member's hand. Wally felt his best friend's hand slip into his. He didn't look towards him, but rather stayed focus on Artemis. He watched the fear grow in her eyes as she tried to keep her composure.

"Now little goddess, tell me, _who are you working for_?" the Joker asked once more, leaning his upper body over to look her directly in the eyes, his face just centimeters from hers. She could feel his breath on her face. She stared directly in his eyes. _Never show fear, look them in the eyes_.

The Joker stood and looked towards Sportsmaster, a large smile on his face, "You've trained her well Sportsmaster, she even _dares_ to look into _my_ eyes. I might actually have a little _fun_ tonight!" The Joker laughed maniacally as he turned back to the blonde archer.

He bent down once more to look directly into her eyes again. A sinister smile twisting his lips up, "Are you ready for some fun little goddess?" The statement and the look in his eyes had Artemis's blood running cold. She fought to keep the shiver from running up her spine.

Before she could have time to feel the fear creeping into her, she felt an explosion of pain erupt from her right thigh. She gasped in pain and looked down to see a knife sticking out of her upper thigh. She looked up towards her father, a look of confusion in her eyes. He just smirked from the corner, doing nothing to stop what was happening. She could feel the burning behind her eyes, indicating that she was about to cry. _No! I won't cry! I will get through this!_

"Are you ready to tell me now, _Arty_?" the Joker cackled.

Artemis's eyes narrowed as she turned to look at her torturer. "I have a question for you Joker?" She began, earning a curious look from both: the psychotic murderer and her father. "How is it that you are feared everyone, but can't even capture a little bird?" A mocking smirk plastered itself across her face.

The team was shocked at the amount of courage Artemis was portraying. They had always known she was fearless, but this was insane. Mocking the Joker. Rubbing in his face that he had yet to capture Robin, something he had been trying to do ever since he learned of Batman's apprentice.

The Joker's shock disappeared quickly and was replaced by pure anger. His hand grabbed the knife that was already in her thigh and twisted in roughly. Artemis ground her teeth together, not letting a scream escape. That's what he wanted and she would _not_ give that to him. Two could play at this game. She wouldn't give him what he wanted. _And when this is over, I won't give that bastard what he wants either. After this I'm done, I'm done being his puppet_. She declared to herself. She was getting out.

"Oh little goddess, you shouldn't be so _cheeky_," the Joker growled, ripping out the knife from her thigh and grasping her throat tightly. "You don't know who you're talking to," he whispered in her ear. She fought the shiver from rising up her spine once more.

The Joker began crushing her windpipe slowly, a manic smile on his face as he watched her struggle for breath. Before she could pass out from the lack of air he threw her into the wall. She went head first into the wall, and landed on her side, the chair still attached to her. She let out a groan of pain as she opened her eyes to see the Joker walking towards her. He stopped in front of her and sent a swift kick into her stomach. Her eyes widened at the sudden attack and coughed, struggling to regain the air that was literally just kicked out of her.

He lifted her upright by the hair and kept a fist full of her long, blonde hair, forcing her head to look up at his. She saw the crazy in his eyes, and was now starting to regret her cheeky comment. He licked his lips as he lowered the knife to her cheek, but was stopped before he could inflict the damage.

"Nothing visible, she still has to be seen in public," Sportsmaster called from the corner.

Joker's smile wavered, but only for a moment. "I guess that means I'll just have to be more _creative_. Now Arty, why don't you tell me who you are working for? Or better yet, tell me your father's weakness?" A snort of amusement could be heard from the corner.

She didn't answer, only glared at the crazy clown. He slapped her, and then punched her in the stomach. Earning a coughing fit that resulted in her coughing up some blood. The Joker's smile widened as he saw the red liquid running out of her mouth.

"Tell me your father's weakness!" the Joker screamed as he slapped her once more. _What weakness? He has none, he doesn't even care about his own family_, she thought bitterly to herself.

"Tell me, tell me!" he screamed louder grabbing his knife and slicing at outside of her left thigh. She sucked in air as the knife cut through her flesh.

"Burn in hell, freak," she bit out. The Joker's eyes narrowed and punched her in the stomach again, and then grabbed her by the hair and threw her into the wall once more. The chair broke with the force of the impact, and Artemis crumpled to the ground. The Joker was soon by her side, stomping his foot down on her right thigh on top of her open wound. She let out and involuntary scream of pain, making the Joker smile with delight.

He stomped on her leg once more, eliciting another scream from the teenager. "Yes, sing to me my beautiful goddess!" the Joker laughed maniacally, stomping on her leg over and over again.

Sportsmaster watched the scene before him becoming more and more disturbed as time went on. This man was crazy, and his stupid little girl had to go and bring the crazy right out of him. He watched the man beat and cut Artemis mercilessly, but she never gave any information up. Just as the Joker raised his fist, aiming to punch her once more Sportsmaster called out, "Okay Joker, that's enough, I think she's passed the test."

The Joker stopped mid-swing, disappointed at the abrupt stop. "You're no fun Sportsmaster, I could have gone on for _days_."

Sportsmaster let out a forced chuckle, "I know you could've, but I do still need her alive for jobs."

"Ah yes," the Joker smirked, and pulled the girl into a sitting position against the wall, "I do believe you're right. I almost forgot this was just a test."

Lawrence crouched down in front of his youngest daughter and smiled at her, "You passed, baby girl, now you get to become one of the Shadows."

Artemis didn't answer or even acknowledge her father. She just sat there, face void of emotion. _I'll find a way out. I'll find my rabbit hole, even if it kills me._

The memory faded and the team was left standing in the small room, shocked by the memory. Every memory they had witnessed had been terrible and awful, but that one was by far the worst.

"A rabbit hole," Wally muttered, looking at the Alice and Wonderland poster.

"What?" Robin asked, coming out of his shocked stupor.

"A rabbit hole," Wally repeated louder this time. "We just have to find the rabbit hole to find Artemis."

The team looked towards where Wally was staring, to see his eyes on the Alice and Wonderland poster.

"That has to be it!" M'gann smiled.

They walked closer to it, climbing on top of Jade's bed to surround it. Wally took a deep breath and reached his hand out towards the poster. As reached out his hand disappeared through the poster.

"It's a door," he said, leaving his arm partially in the 'door'.

"Well go dude!" Robin exclaimed, pushing Wally to go through the poster.

Wally nodded and pushed the rest of his body through the poster. A bright light blinded him momentarily as he kept walking. He squeezed his eyes shut as he felt himself pull his entire body through the door. As soon as the bright light faded he opened his eyes cautiously. He blinked a couple of times to rid his vision of the black specks before he realized where he was.

"The cave?"


	7. Chapter 7

_Here it is! The final chapter! We made it!_

* * *

007: To the Cave and Back

* * *

Wally looked around the familiar setting. Everything looked like how it was supposed to look in the cave. Nothing seemed out of place, and if he wasn't sure he was still in Artemis's mind he would have thought that he had woken up. He was standing in the middle of the debriefing room. He heard a groan behind him and turned around to see his teammates rubbing their eyes and looking around with questioning looks.

"The cave? Are we-did we?" M'gann started, becoming momentarily confused before her eyes widened with realization. "The fair ground! This is it! She has to be here!" M'gann said excitedly.

"Really?" Wally asked his voice full of hope.

"Yes," she nodded eagerly. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath trying to focus on finding her blonde earth sister. Her eyes snapped open and she started to run off, "She's this way!"

They team eagerly followed her. They came to a halt in the living room, and before they could look around Conner shouted grabbing everyone's attention.

"Look! It's her!" Conner said excitedly. They team turned to look in the direction he was pointing to see their teammate sitting on the couch, her knees drawn up to her chest as she clutched them tightly.

"Artemis!" Wally shouted eagerly as he ran towards her, but she didn't respond. The rest of the team neared her only to be ignored like the speedster.

"What's wrong? Why isn't she answering?" Wally asked, panic creeping into his voice.

"I don't know," Robin whispered, crouching down in front of the archer. "Artemis, hey, it's us," he called softly waving his hand in front of her face, but once again there was no response.

"She looks to be in a trance of sorts," Kaldur said, noticing the clouded look in her eyes.

"Artemis?" M'gann called, lightly placing her hand on the blonde's shoulder, trying to grab her attention. However the contact caused the blonde to jump and drop her head onto her knees as she mumbled something incoherent.

"Are-are we too late?" M'gann asked, looking at her teammates with tears forming in her eyes.

The team stayed quiet for a moment, wrapped up in their own thoughts, before Wally let out a frustrated groan.

"We can't be too late! We just can't be! After everything we've done, everything we've _seen_, we can't be too late!" he shouted, pulling at his hair in frustration.

Artemis's head lifted, earning her team's attention. "Wally?" she whispered, her eyes still clouded.

"Artemis?" Wally whispered in return, but not earning a response this time. He bit his lip and took a deep breath before grabbing her shoulders and shouting, "Artemis wake up already! You have to wake up! Please just wake up and insult me or something!"

For a moment nothing happened, but then Artemis blinked her eyes a couple of times, her vision finally clearing. As soon as the clouds were gone, confusion became evident on her face. "What are you doing, Baywatch?" she asked, becoming slightly uncomfortable with his close proximity.

"Baywatch? Artemis you're awake!" Wally shouted with joy as he wrapped her up in a tight hug.

Artemis's cheeks flushed slightly as he squeezed her tightly. "Um, Wally?"

"Yeah?" he asked, completely oblivious to the fact he was still hugging her.

"What the hell do you think you are doing?" she asked brashly. Wally finally realized that he was hugging her and pulled apart quickly, his face flushing deeply.

"Oh uh," he stuttered while scratching at his nose uncomfortable, "I'm just happy we finally found you."

"Found me?" she asked, confused at the situation they were in.

"You are in a deep slumber right now because of the drug Lex Luthor injected into you," Kaldur explained.

"Drug?" Artemis mumbled trying to figure out what the last thing was that she could remember. She sat silently for a moment, obviously trying to sort through her thoughts when she finally realized what her leader had said, "Oh yeah…that's right."

"The drug was a mixture of Scarecrow's fear gas and a new agent that had yet to be deciphered when we left," Robin informed.

"When you left?" Artemis asked as she cocked her to the right slightly.

"Before we entered your mind," M'gann informed.

"What?" confusion clearly written on the archer's face. "You're in my mind?"

"Yeah, Bats didn't know if he was going to be able to find an antidote in time so he sent us in here to find you and make you realize you were sleeping so you would wake up," Wally shrugged.

"Woah, woah, woah, woah, time out!" Artemis said, holding her hands up in a 'T' formation. "Start over."

Wally let out a large sigh, "You got drugged." Artemis nodded showing she understood that part. "Well after you got drugged you fell asleep. Luthor said that he was testing a new drug, one that made the person fall asleep and…" he trailed off remembering everything they had recently seen.

"And…?" Artemis drawled out, trying to get someone to continue.

"And experience nightmares, but not just any nightmares, the nightmares of their past," Robin continued once he noticed the uneasiness in his best friend.

"The nightmares of their past," Artemis repeated, letting the reality of what has been happening sink in. "So since Bats couldn't prepare an antidote fast enough he sent the team into my head to find me and wake me up?" She asked, trying to clarify her thoughts.

"Yup, pretty much," Robin smiled.

Artemis was quiet for a few moments, chewing on the inside of her cheek going over what she had just been told. "So," she started, lifting her head and looking at her team, "did you just wind up finding me right away when you entered my mind?"

"No," M'gann started, becoming uncomfortable with the subject. "You had a lot of mental blockades set up to stop someone from just entering your mind."

"Yeah, I was taught that at practically the same time I was taught my ABCs," Artemis chuckled bitterly.

The room became silent with a heavy, uncomfortable air settling on them.

Kaldur sighed, drawing everyone's attention, "Artemis, you should know we witnessed many of your nightmares while trying to find you."

Artemis wrinkled her nose and bit her bottom lip before sighing, "Yeah, I kind of figured."

M'gann wrapped her arms around the blonde and buried her head into her shoulder, "I'm so sorry Artemis."

Artemis knew she was talking about her childhood. She knew she was apologizing for her father, but that's exactly why she had never told any of them what happened in her past. She pulled M'gann off of her and held her at the shoulders. "Don't apologize, and don't feel bad for me. What happened in my past is the reason I'm here today. Sure it wasn't pretty, but I wouldn't change any of it," she said sternly, looking her Martian sister in the eyes.

M'gann nodded in understanding, wiping away the tear that had gotten loose.

Wally coughed at the awkwardness, drawing everyone's attention. "I hate to break-up this girly moment, but we should probably get out of your mind now."

The statement confused the archer as she watched the rest of her teammates nod their heads in agreement. "Wait, we are still in my mind?"

"Uh, yeah," Robin answered.

"So when you leave will I wake up?" Artemis asked; worried that she would fall back into the nightmares that had previously haunted her.

Everyone looked towards M'gann for conformation who just shrugged her shoulders, slightly unsure of herself. "I don't see why not. Now that you know they were just nightmares and not the real thing I think you should be able to wake yourself up."

"Right," Artemis muttered. She unconsciously bit her bottom lip, a sign that she was unsure. Wally grabbed her hand which also grabbed her attention.

"Come on Harpy, we'll wake up together," he smirked, easing her tension.

"Thanks Baywatch," she smirked back before closing her eyes and taking a deep breath.

_Just wake up. _

As she tried to open her eyes again she was blinded by bright lights overhead, causing her squeeze her eyes shut once more. Slowly she peaked out from under her eyelids, adjusting to the harsh light. Once she had opened her eyes enough to see she saw that she was no longer sitting on the couch in the cave, but she was lying in a hospital bed in the med bay.

"Welcome back to the real world," Wally smiled, squeezing the hand he had yet to let go of.

Artemis smiled back tiredly and squeezed his hand in return, "It's good to be back, Baywatch."

"Artemis, thank goodness you're okay!" Ollie exclaimed as he threw his arms around his protégé, hugging her tightly.

"Ugh, geez, GA, I'm fine," Artemis groaned trying to push her mentor off of her, but to no avail.

"I'm sorry, I was just so worried," Ollie said as he detached himself from his student, a bright smile on his face.

Artemis blushed slightly at the smile her teacher was displaying. "It's okay, I'm fine now."

Batman came over and looked her over, checking her vitals, trying to make sure she was _fine_. After a couple minutes of being silent the Dark Knight nodded, "You seem alright, but you are to take it easy for the next couple of days. We want to make sure that there are no side effects."

Artemis nodded, and turned her attention back to her team. They all looked exhausted. Her brow furrowed and she looked back towards her mentor, "How long was I asleep?"

"About 27 hours," Ollie answered, shocking his student.

She turned to look at the Martian to see sweat formed on her forehead. "And how long were they in my mind?"

"Fifteen hours," Batman answered, once again shocking the archer.

"M'gann you must be exhausted, you need to rest," Artemis said, worry evident in her voice.

M'gann just smiled and shook her head as she leaned on Superboy, "No, I'm fine. I want to stay here, with you."

Artemis rolled her eyes, "You're ridiculous. I'll be here when you wake up, you need to rest."

"She's right M'gann," Conner said as he picked her up bridal style carrying her towards the door. Before she could even begin to argue she was fast asleep in Conner's arms.

Artemis then turned her attention to her remaining teammates, "You all should go to sleep too. You don't look much better than her."

"Psh, you should talk," Wally bit back, earning a glare from the blonde.

Before Artemis could retaliate, Batman spoke up, "You all need your rest. So I'm ordering you to go get some."

No one argued with him as they all started to get up from the chairs they sat in stretching out their tight muscles and leaving the room. Artemis swung her legs of the bed and began to stand too until she's was stopped by her mentor. "Where do you think you are going?" Ollie asked, his voice firm.

She paused for a moment looking at the door her teammates had just left out of, and then back to her teacher, "To go get some rest?"

"You're staying here so we can monitor your vitals," Ollie commanded more than stated.

Artemis pouted at his command and crossed her arms, "No way! This bed is terribly uncomfortable; I want to go sleep in _my_ bed!"

"No, you are to remain in the cave until we deem that you are stable enough to leave," Batman stated.

Artemis turned her glare on the Dark Knight, whom it had no effect on. "Can I at least go sleep on the couch or something? There is no way I can rest in here with all the lights and beeping." She looked towards her mentor and pushed out her bottom lip, hoping the puppy dog look would get the effect she wanted.

Ollie stared at her for a moment before looking towards Batman, hoping for some support, but receiving none. He looked back at his student and saw her eyes getting bigger and bigger. _That little shit_, he cursed to himself before letting out a sigh of defeat, "Fine."

Artemis smiled and walked towards the door, "Thanks GA, you're the best!"

Once Artemis walked in the hallway she was greeted by the smiling face of Wallace Rudolph West. She returned his smile and walked over to him.

"Aren't you going home to go to sleep, or eat?" Artemis asked, a teasing tone evident in her voice.

"Nah, I think I'll stay here for the night. If I leave now I might fall asleep while running home," Wally joked as they started to walk towards the living room.

Artemis chuckled at the statement, but soon fell silent. They walked in a comfortable silence for a couple of moments before Artemis stopped walking. Wally, noticing his teammate had stopped, turned around and shot her a confused look.

"Hey Wally?" she started, chewing on the inside of her lip, showing her nervousness.

"Yeah?" he asked, becoming just as nervous as she looked.

She took a deep breath to soothe her nerves before looking up into his eyes, "Thanks for saving me from my nightmares."

Wally flushed a light pink and scratched the back of his neck sheepishly, "Uh, no problem. I didn't really do much, it was M'gann really."

Artemis smiled and shook her head, stepping closer to him. "No," she started as she stopped in front of him, only inches apart. "Your voice is what was able to reach me, it gave me the strength to not let my nightmares over take me. So thanks," she whispered as she lifted up onto her tip toes and brushed her lips against his cheek before walking away, and leaving him behind.

Wally stood there, frozen, with a brilliant blush heating his face. He stood frozen for a few more moments before a familiar cackle was heard, and a hand squeezed his shoulder.

"Are you still denying your feelings?" Robin asked through a large grin.

Wally turned and glared at the masked boy before shoving past him, shoulder checking him in the process, while grumbling a, "shut up," under his breath. Robin let out another signature cackle before following his best friend to the living room.

* * *

After the teenagers had left the room Batman turned towards Green Arrow and chuckled, "Push-over."

"Oh shut it," Ollie growled. He stood watching the door for a moment or two longer before falling back into his chair. He let out a large sigh and ran his hand through his hair. "Shit, Bats, I really thought we weren't going to be able to get her out. They took so long, I thought…" Ollie whispered, his voice barely audible at the end as he trailed off. He let his head fall into his hands, shielding the pain that was showing on his face.

Batman sighed and walked over to his teammate and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I know Oliver, but she is okay, and you should have never doubted the team. They would never have let her slip away. Especially Wally."

GA chuckled at the Bats statement rubbed his face before standing up and stretching out his own muscles. "Yeah, I better watch that kid. Her dad may not be here to scare off the boys, but I sure as hell am."

"Psh, like you could scare off my nephew. He's already fallen for that _niece_ of yours," Barry chuckled, leaning against the door frame.

Oliver rolled his eyes at the comment. "Did you finish making the antidote?" Batman asked, his voice now very serious.

The Flash shook his head, "No, not yet. J'onn is putting the final touches in it, and said it will be done within the next couple of hours."

Batman nodded once, "When it is complete we need to give some to Artemis, just in case."

Oliver and Barry both nodded before leaving the med bay to check on J'onn's progress.

* * *

Artemis collapsed on the couch with a relieved sigh. She smiled happily with her eyes closed as she stretched out on the length of the couch.

"Scoot over arrow girl," Robin whined pushing her legs off one end of the couch.

Artemis frowned and sat up with a huff. "I'm trying to rest here boy blunder," she returned in an equally whiny voice.

"So are we," Wally said as he plopped down next to her.

"Why aren't you going to your rooms?" she asked as she noticed Kaldur taking a seat next to Robin, and Conner and M'gann resting on the other end of the sectional.

Wally shrugged nonchalantly, "I dunno, this room is just the coziest one in the cave. It makes it easy to rest here."

Artemis smiled at the red-head as he tried his hardest not to look her way. "Coziest huh?" her smirk widening as she saw the red starting to decorate his face.

Wally let out an awkward cough as he scratched his nose, "Uh, yeah."

Artemis rolled her eyes and bumped her shoulder with his as she got up, moving across the room towards the T.V. "Whatever Baywatch. Since we are all here anyway why don't we watch a movie, to help us rest?"

"Ooooh, let's watch The Conjuring!" Robin piped up excitedly.

Artemis threw him an incredulous look, "That movie is terrifying! How would that help us relax in the slightest?!"

Robin shrugged his shoulders, "I dunno, I just really want to see it."

"Yeah, no way Rob," Wally said, holding his arms up in front of him in the shape of an 'X'.

Robin pouted, crossing his arms across his chest, and huffing loudly.

"You should choose Artemis," Kaldur spoke up.

Artemis stared at the movie collection, her mouth pulling to the side in concentration. After a couple of minutes of contemplation she finally decided on Frozen. After it was popped in she returned to her spot on the couch between Wally and Robin.

As the movie began Wally and Robin looked at her, "Really?" they asked simultaneously.

"Oh hush, let's not act like you two don't know every single word to this movie," Artemis mocked as she rolled her eyes.

The two boys looked at each other and nodded before breaking out in song. Artemis let out a loud laugh as she watched the two mimic the men on the screen in the beginning song. After the song finished the three laughed loudly together, as Kaldur chuckled softly, and Conner just smirked (M'gann was already fast asleep). Wally and Robin settled down and plopped themselves back on the couch, sinking in comfortably into the cushions.

As the movie progressed the teens soon fell fast asleep. Green Arrow, Flash, and Batman walked into the living room, close to the end of the movie to check on the team. The sight that greeted them caused a smile to form on each of their lips, including Batman's, even though he'll deny it. The team was passed out in varying positions on the couch.

M'gann's head was resting in Conner's lap, while he was slouched into the couch, snoring softly. Next to them Wally slept with one arm wrapped around Artemis as she was curled into him, her head on resting on his shoulder and his resting on her head, a pleasant look upon both of their faces. Robin had both arms wrapped around Artemis's waist and had his head resting on her side, and his feet propped up on Kaldur's lap, who was sitting straight up, his arms crossed across his chest and his head lolled to the side.

Flash quickly pulled his phone out and snapped a couple of pictures from different angles and snickered to himself.

"Blackmail Barry? Aren't we a little too old for that?" Oliver chuckled.

"Tsk, no! Kid always tries to blackmail me, now I have something on him to keep him quiet for a little bit," Barry replied as he giggle like a school girl.

After he finished snapping pictures he sped out the room, only to return a second later with an armful of blankets and a couple of pillows. He quickly and quietly covered the sleeping teens, and propped a pillow underneath Conner and Kaldur's head, both of which how didn't even stir.

"They really must be exhausted," Barry commented after he finished his work.

"Probably more mentally exhausted then anything. I can't even imagine what they saw while they were in her head," Oliver stated, cringing slightly towards the end of his sentence.

"If the screams she was admitting were anything, then we know it must have been bad," Batman said solemnly.

"Well, I'm exhausted too, we should get some rest as well," Flash yawned, stretching his arms above his head as he walked towards the zeta tubes.

Batman put a hand on Ollie's shoulder, "He's right Oliver, we should go."

Ollie glanced towards the Bat briefly before looking at his protégé again. She looked so peaceful, and he couldn't be happier. Watching her face contort with pain and fear while listening to the heart piercing screams had been too much for him. She had become more than just his protégé, she had become family, and he never wanted to see her in that sort of pain again. He finally tore his gaze from her and started to follow the Flash towards the zeta tubes.

Just before he reached him Batman's voice reached his ears in a stern warning, "Don't do anything stupid Ollie."

The statement shocked Oliver and he turned to look back at the Bat. He stared at him for a moment before a goofy grin crossed his face, "You really do know everything don't you?" He chuckled as Batman continued to glare at him. "Maybe you do have super powers and you just aren't telling people. Are you sure you can't read minds?"

The Bat was silent for a moment before speaking, his voice dark in a warning, "Don't go after him. Eventually he will put himself in a position where we can act without suspicion."

Oliver sighed and rubbed a hand over his tired face, "Yeah, yeah, I know. I wasn't _actually_ going to do anything. I was just thinking about it."

"Uh-huh, sure Ollie," Barry chuckled, elbowing the green archer's side. Said archer just rolled his eyes and mentally thanked his friends for their comforting and slightly intimidating words.

The three mentors left, leaving the very content team in each others' comforting embraces on the couch

* * *

_And there it is! I finished it! Ahhh I can't believe it! Thank you all so much for sticking with me even through my absence, and thank you to the people that just started reading too! I can't express how much all the support has meant to me! I do have another idea for a story, so keep an eye out for that!_

_Thanks again!_


End file.
